Smells like Szechuan

Twin Dragon Chinese Restaurant

One of my favorite things is discovering new and delicious eating experiences. One evening, while returning to our car from a grocery-shopping trip in the Raleys’ shopping center on North Hills Boulevard in Golden Valley, my wife and I were assaulted by the smells of Asian cuisine. And we were forced, at nose-point, to eat at the Twin Dragon restaurant. Since this unexpected assault on our noses, we have been regular patrons of Twin Dragon. This rather unpretentious establishment serves a large variety of Hunan and Szechuan dishes, from the ever-popular chow mein to spicy pork with bean curd. And they do it all well.

On our latest sojourn, my wife and I ordered the Szechuan dinner for two. This started out with about four servings worth of hot and sour soup. This is one of the best hot & sour soups I have had. It is not too hot and is very substantial, with no lack of mushrooms, tofu or any of the other goodies in it. It could easily be a meal all by itself. This soup also comes highly recommended for anyone with a cold, as it will not only taste wonderful, but will help to clear your sinuses, too.

The next course was our appetizer platter, including fried wontons with a creamy cheese and onion filling, a bifurcated (cut into two pieces) egg roll that was crunchy and not too oily, a pair of battered fried prawns and fried chicken wings. All of these preliminary treats left us fairly well filled, but the best was yet to come.

My main course was Mongolian beef, for some spice, and my wife selected shrimp chow mein, her absolute favorite. As always, the emphasis here was on flavor, and the beef was delicious with just the right amount of spicy heat. The meat was tender and not in the least bit skimpy. The sauce had just the slightest hint of smokiness, and the bed of rice noodles were crisp—both of which only happen when the dish is served immediately upon completion. The chow mein had a very subtle flavor, and the noodles were tender, yet not over cooked.

The dish contained several large shrimp and had the right amount of sauce, neither swimming in sauce nor dry. And, once again, the servings could have easily fed three or four people. As usual, we knew we’d have a great lunch the next day.

The value of this restaurant is great. Our meal for two cost under $20 and it included a pot of green tea, as well as the extremely important fortune cookie.

The number of take-out meals that we saw picked up while eating spoke very well for the local appeal. Perhaps it could best be summed up as one of the best eating experiences and values in the North Valleys.